Cheese Consumption In The US Has Tripled Since 1970

Americans seem to have fickle eating habits. This year has shown a healthy decline in beef and sugar consumption, but an increase in yogurt purchases. And that's not the only place that dairy is on the rise. According to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Americans are eating a lot more cheese.

As it turns out in comparison with its consumption in the 1970s, people are eating three times as much cheese. In 1970 the average American ate about eight pounds of cheese per year. Now the average individual eats 23 pounds of cheese per year!

Michael Moss, a reporter at The New York Times writer and author of Salt Sugar Fat: How The Food Giants Hooked Us explained this surge in the popularity of cheese to TIME Magazine:

"The USDA has become a partner with the dairy industry and the beef industry in promoting increased consumption of cheese and red meat at a time when its own nutritionists are encouraging people to cut back because both are heavily laden with saturated fat, which is linked to heart disease. This largely explains why cheese consumption has tripled in this country since the 70s to as much as 33 pounds per person per year."

Furthermore, cheese has become more than just a tasty treat, it has transformed into an addition to nearly every meal according to the report. So many dishes are now topped with cheese. It flavors chips, crackers and ever the inside of pizza crusts/